Gun Sales Surging in Ohio

Federal data shows Ohioans made a run on gun stores in March as COVID-19 caseloads in the state exponentially grew.

It was Ohio’s second busiest month for gun sales for as long as data has been available since 1998. Sales hit their peak in Ohio in December 2015, after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California.

In 2019, gun sellers conducted an average of about 53,000 NICS checks per month.

The data could be an undercount, as Ohio does not require background checks for private gun sales.

Ohio followed a national trend of surging firearms demand. Americans bought about two million guns in March, according to The New York Times, the second-busiest month for gun sales since January 2013, after a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Although Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Amy Acton issued a stay-at-home order, effectively closing all non-essential businesses in the state, the order considers firearm and ammunition suppliers to be essential.

This article was republished with permission from Ohio Capital Journal. For more in Ohio political news, visit www.ohiocapitaljournal.com.

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The Ohio Capital Journal is a hard-hitting, independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to connecting Ohioans to their state government and its impact on their lives. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with relentless investigative journalism, deep dives into the consequences of policy, political insight and principled commentary.

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The Ohio Capital Journal is a hard-hitting, independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to connecting Ohioans to their state government and its impact on their lives. The Capital Journal combines Ohio state government coverage with relentless investigative journalism, deep dives into the consequences of policy, political insight and principled commentary.